Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

1. form of learning that occurs as a result of linking a specific behaviour to a reward or punishment

2. positive reinforcement (reward)

3. behaviours that remove something unpleasant will be repeated (negative reinforcement)

4. behaviours that produce rewards will be repeated (positive reinforcement)

5. behaviours that receive an unpleasant response won't be repeated (punishment)

6. hungry infant feels uncomfortable - creates a motivating drive to reduce the discomfort of hunger

7. infant is fed - eating provides a feeling of pleasure - feeding is PR

8. eating removes unpleasant feeling of hunger - NR

9. food = primary reinforcer - initial source of reinforcement - satisfies the biological need of eating

10. infant will stop crying once fed - cessation of crying is negative reinforcement for the caregiver

11. caregiver supplies the primary reinforcer - associated with avoiding hunger and becomes a secondary reinforcer